GECs
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment launches digital sell-through biz
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) today announced that the studio will launch its digital sell-through business on 3 April. Partnering with Movielink and CinemaNow, the service will allow broadband internet users in the US the opportunity to download-to-own for the very first time a wide range of entertainment content from the SPHE and MGM collective libraries.
The announcement was made by Worldwide Home Entertainment digital distribution and acquisitions president Benjamin S Feingold.
“This is a landmark development in the evolution of home entertainment. Allowing consumers to download and own movies digitally via their broadband internet connections gives them more power to be entertained when and how they choose,” said Feingold.
SPHE’s digital sell-through business will commence with an initial slate of 75 titles that will include such films as Memoirs of a Geisha, Spider-Man 2, Taxi Driver, Barbershop, and Hitch. Dirty will be SPHE’s first day-and-date title when it debuts on 4 April. The hit comedy Fun With Dick and Jane will release day-and-date on 11 April.
In addition to offering new release titles day-and-date with DVD, SPHE will release additional titles from SPHE and MGM’s library monthly. The combined Sony Pictures and MGM libraries of more than 7,500 titles are believed to be the largest, most digitized collection in the business.
Feingold added, “We at Sony Pictures have been a leader in providing entertainment to the public on the most cutting-edge digital delivery platforms including DVDs, UMDs, Digital Media Cards for mobile phones and digital distribution over the Internet. And we will soon be delivering movies to people on high definition Blu-ray Discs.”
“Our goal is to continue to provide engaging entertainment content in the most innovative, convenient and secure manner possible. This partnership with Movielink and CinemaNow is just the first step in a bright future for digital delivery that will only serve to complement our packaged media sales business,” Feingold said.
“We are pleased to offer consumers a new option in movie ownership. Together with day-and-date release along with DVDs, digital delivery provides the convenience, flexibility and quality that movie fans have been asking for. Movielink has carved out a position in the broadband market of being the place to come for high quality long form entertainment, and this new consumer option continues to differentiate our service from other forms of VOD,” said Movielink CEO Jim Ramo.
“Launching our download-to-own business with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment marks the tipping point which we’ve been waiting for. CinemaNow has always believed that the ability to sell studio movies at the same time they are released for home video would be the catalyst for explosive growth in our industry. Now our customers can download and own the movies they want, when they want, with the convenience of on-demand access,” said CinemaNow CEO Curt Marvis.
GECs
Samsung TV Plus launches Kings of Comedy channel
New free FAST channel brings iconic Hindi comedy shows to millions of Samsung Smart TV owners.
MUMBAI: Samsung TV Plus has just turned up the laughter volume and it’s completely free. The leading free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) service in India has launched Kings of Comedy, a premium comedy channel featuring some of the country’s most beloved primetime shows. Available exclusively on Samsung TV Plus, the channel delivers back-to-back hits including Comedy Nights with Kapil, Khatra Khatra Khatra, and Comedy Nights Bachao, with no login or subscription required.
The launch marks a milestone for free streaming in India, offering audiences a dedicated comedy destination directly from their Samsung TV home screen. It arrives as Samsung TV Plus India celebrates its 5th anniversary, during which the service has grown its monthly active users by 42 per cent and more than doubled its total viewing hours. The platform now offers over 180 free channels across 14 languages.
Samsung TV Plus India general manager and head of business development Kunal Mehta said, “Comedy is the heartbeat of Hindi entertainment, and Kings of Comedy brings together the shows Indians already love, completely free on their Samsung TV. Our focus remains the same take the content people know and make it effortless to access.”
Globally, Samsung TV Plus has surpassed 100 million monthly active users across more than 4,500 channels, solidifying its position as one of the world’s leading free streaming services.
Kings of Comedy is now available on all compatible Samsung Smart TVs. For viewers seeking non-stop laughter without any cost, this new channel delivers a royal treat proving that sometimes the best entertainment really does come with no strings (or subscriptions) attached.
